Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- September 17, 2014

'Boots On The Ground' In Iraq: Are Obama And Pentagon Really At Odds? -- Brad Knickerbocker, CSM

President Obama and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey seem to be at odds over possible use of US ground troops in Iraq to fight Islamic State militants. But this is just how civil-military relations are supposed to work, says one analyst.

There’s a long history of US presidents taking issue with their top generals (and vice versa).

During the Civil War, President Lincoln asked of a foot-dragging Gen. George B. McClellan, "If General McClellan does not want to use the army, I would like to borrow it for a time." Eventually, Lincoln relieved McClellan of command.

During the Korean War, President Truman fired Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who had publicly argued for an expansion of the war in Asia, which bordered on insubordination.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- September 17, 2014

U.S. boots are already on the ground against the Islamic State -- David Ignatius, Washington Post

Back for more: The US and Iraq -- Crispian Cuss, Al Jazeera

As U.S. lawmakers vote on arming Syrian rebels, big questions remain -- Patricia Zengerle and Richard Cowan, Reuters

Why Congress moved so fast on Syria: It's the election, stupid -- Francine Kiefer, CSM

Take a Deep Breath: ISIS and the Arab World -- Thomas Friedman, NYT

The Islamic State’s Vulnerability -- Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, War On The Rocks

Islamic State in Court: Germany Struggles to Deal with Returning Fighters -- Spiegel Online

How Blocked Hamas Paychecks Could Reignite Gaza -- World Crunch

Russians love their children, too – but that alone won’t stop a nuclear war -- Masha Gessen, Reuters

On eve of secession vote, UK's fate hangs on a divided Scotland -- Guy Faulconbridge and Alistair Smout, Reuters

The Man Behind Scotland's Independence Movement -- Christoph Scheuermann, Spiegel Online

As Scots debate independence, some in England say 'good riddance' -- Ian Evans, CSM

The Origins and Implications of the Scottish Referendum -- George Friedman, Stratfor

Europe goes back to the Middle Ages: Map shows how patchwork continent would look if every separatist movement got their wish -- Daily Mail

How Islamic State is wielding the Internet in new ways -- Harry Bruinius, CSM

Can the U.S. Army Degrade and Destroy Ebola? -- Laurie Garrett, Foreign Policy